The USA Center for Heritage and Indigenous Cultures serves to preserve and enrich the Filipino cultural, heritage, and indigenous identity through quality research, community engagement, and awareness programs. In view of the above, this proposed project aims to document the indigenous knowledge, practices, and lived-experiences of Ati people in Panay, Western Visayas during natural calamities brought about by climate change, and their responses on the recent impacts of the government’s health and security measures during the COVID-19 pandemic expressed in the form of a book on binalaybay, a Hiligaynon poetry. This aim is premised on the idea that this piece of work may shed light in understanding the Ati people’s current social conditions amidst the pressing environmental risks brought by climate change and COVID-19 outbreak. The gathered responses during conversations with Ati communities will serve as basis for recommendation to local government units (LGUs) in creating policies that will further improve the socio-economic well-being, health condition, and recognition of the identities and way of life of Ati communities in Iloilo City and provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, and Guimaras.

Binalaybay is considered as one of the dying folk literatures in the country, hence documentation and curation is imperative. In this proposed study, binalaybay will be documented as a medium of expression of the Ati people regarding their indigenous knowledge, practices, and lived-experiences in time of natural catastrophes and during the COVID-19 outbreak. The book on the poems by the Ati people will be the tangible outcome of this proposed study, which documents the expressions of their indigenous knowledge, cultural identities, and local practices. Further, this project is conceived not only to portray the Ati people’s indigenous knowledge and phenomenology during natural calamities but also to provide new written literature of Ati culture.